Method and device for scrolling speed control

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed towards a method and a device for varying the scrolling speed provided for a set of items. The device comprises a first user input unit for allowing a scrolling action selection by the user, a second user input unit for allowing a scrolling speed variation selection, and a control unit, which provides a set of items of information that can be scrolled by a user (step  32 ), detects a scrolling action selection by a user via the first user input unit (step  34 ), detects a scrolling speed variation selection via the second user input unit (step  38 ), and changes the scrolling speed in dependence of the selections made by the user, (steps  42, 44 ). In this way varied scrolling speeds that can be fully controlled by a user in a simple manner are provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §371 from PCTInternational Application No. PCT/EP2004/004168, filed on Apr. 20, 2004,which claims priority from European Patent Application Ser. No.03009504.6 filed Apr. 28, 2003, and from U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 60/467,963 filed May 5, 2003, the disclosures and contents ofeach of which are respectively incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties. The above-referenced PCT International Application waspublished in the English language as International Publication No. WO2004/097616.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of scrolling in sets ofitems, for instance lists provided in portable electronic devices, andmore particularly to a method and a device for varying the scrollingspeed for a set of items.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

The cellular phones of today have more and more different functions andapplications in them. In order to sort between different functions anddata relating to functions, the phones are normally provided with a menusystem, in which a user can scroll in order to find data or functionsthat are grouped together. An example of such a group or set is forinstance a telephone book, which lists a number of contacts and theircorresponding phone numbers.

In the phones of today, there does not to the best of our knowledgeexist the possibility to scroll lists with different speeds, they alluse the same scrolling speed. This is a disadvantage, because differentusers might have different needs for scrolling fast, either because ofpersonal differences or because of differences related to the itemsscrolled. One user might for instance need a faster scrolling speed thananother user. The one and same user might also have a need for differentscrolling speeds because for instance the number of items scrolled canbe many, which might give rise to the need of a high scrolling speed,whereas in some other instances a slower scrolling speed might be neededbecause the items scrolled are few. Another reason for varying scrollingspeed is that a user might be alert with quick reactions at one point intime and tired with slow reactions at another point in time, which givesrise to the need to provide different scrolling speeds also for a singleuser. In short there is a need to provide personalised scrolling speeds.

In the art of computers it is known to provide varied scrolling speedsautomatically. Here the scrolling speed is increased automatically whena user is for instance scrolling a long text document. The user doeshowever not have full control of this scrolling, and will in many casesfeel that the scrolling goes too slowly in the beginning and too fast inthe end to be able to control the scrolling properly.

There is thus a need for providing varied scrolling speeds that can befully controlled by a user in a simple manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is thus directed towards providing variedscrolling speeds that can be fully controlled by a user in a simplemanner.

This is achieved by detecting a scrolling action selection and ascrolling speed variation selection and changing the scrolling speed independence of these selections.

One object of the present invention is to provide a method enablingvaried scrolling speeds that can be fully controlled by a user in asimple manner.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, this object isachieved by a method of varying the scrolling speed provided for a setof items comprising the steps of:

-   -   providing a set of items of information that can be scrolled by        a user,    -   detecting a scrolling action selection from a user,    -   detecting a scrolling speed variation selection from said user,        and    -   changing the scrolling speed in dependence of the selections        made by the user.

A second aspect of the present invention is directed to a methodincluding the features of the first aspect, wherein the step of changingis made based on simultaneous detection of scrolling action andscrolling speed variation.

A third aspect of the present invention is directed towards a methodincluding the features of the first aspect, wherein the scrolling speedis varied with a certain step size and the scrolling speed is variedwith said step size each time a scrolling speed variation selection isdetected during detection of a scrolling action selection.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is directed towards a methodincluding the features of the first aspect, wherein the scrolling speedis varied linearly when a scrolling speed variation selection isdetected during detection of a scrolling action selection.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is directed towards a methodincluding the features of the first aspect, wherein the scrolling speedvariation is either an increase or a decrease of the scrolling speed.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is directed towards a methodincluding the features of the fifth aspect, wherein a first user inputunit allows actuation for a first direction and for a second oppositedirection, each allowing scrolling in said direction, and a second userinput unit allows actuation for the first and the second oppositedirections, wherein the detection of a scrolling action selection by anactuation of the first input unit for one direction together with thedetection of a scrolling speed variation selection by an actuation ofthe second user input unit for the same direction provides a scrollingspeed increase and the detection of a scrolling action selection by anactuation of the first input unit for one direction together with thedetection of a scrolling speed variation selection by an actuation ofthe second user input unit for the opposite direction provides ascrolling speed decrease.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is directed towards a methodincluding the features of the first aspect, further comprising the stepof saving a scrolling speed setting based on the changed scrollingspeed.

An eighth aspect of the present invention is directed towards a methodincluding the features of the seventh aspect, wherein the step of savingis performed automatically.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is directed towards a methodincluding the features of the seventh aspect, wherein the step of savingis performed after detecting a selection of saving scrolling speed fromthe user.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is directed towards a methodincluding the features of the seventh aspect, wherein the step of savingis performed for said set of items.

An eleventh aspect of the present invention is directed towards a methodincluding the features of the tenth aspect, wherein the step of savingis also performed for at least one other set of items.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device, whichprovides varied scrolling speeds that can be fully controlled by a userin a simple manner and which gives the user a feeling of full control ofthe scrolling.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, this object isachieved by a device for varying the scrolling speed provided for a setof items comprising:

-   -   an information presentation unit providing a set of items of        information that can be scrolled by a user,    -   a first user input unit, for allowing a scrolling action        selection by the user,    -   a second user input unit for allowing a scrolling speed        variation selection by the user, and    -   a control unit arranged to:        -   provide said set of items of information on the information            presentation unit,        -   detect a scrolling action selection by a user via said first            user input unit,        -   detect a scrolling speed variation selection via said second            user input unit, and        -   change the scrolling speed in dependence of the selections            made by the user.

A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the twelfth aspect, wherein the controlunit is arranged to change the scrolling speed based on simultaneousdetection of scrolling action and scrolling speed variation.

A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the twelfth aspect, wherein the controlunit is further arranged to vary the scrolling speed with a certain stepsize and the scrolling speed is varied with said step size each time ascrolling speed variation selection is detected during detection of ascrolling action selection.

A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is directed towards a deviceincluding the features of the twelfth, wherein the control unit isfurther arranged to vary the scrolling speed linearly when a scrollingspeed variation selection is detected during a detection of a scrollingaction selection.

A sixteenth aspect of the present invention is directed towards a deviceincluding the features of the twelfth aspect, wherein the scrollingspeed variation is either an increase or a decrease of the scrollingspeed.

A seventeenth aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the sixteenth aspect, wherein the firstuser input unit allows actuation for a first direction and for a secondopposite direction, each allowing scrolling in said direction, and thesecond user input unit allows actuation for the first and the secondopposite direction, wherein the control unit in detecting a scrollingaction selection by actuation of the first input unit for one directiontogether with detecting of a scrolling speed variation selection by anactuation of the second user input unit for the same direction providesa scrolling speed increase and in detecting of a scrolling actionselection by detection of an actuation of the first input unit for onedirection together with detecting of a scrolling speed variationselection by an actuation of the second user input unit for the oppositedirection provides a scrolling speed decrease.

An eighteenth aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the twelfth aspect, further comprisinga scroll speed storage and wherein the control unit is further arrangedto save a scrolling speed setting in the scroll speed storage based onthe changed scrolling speed.

A nineteenth aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the eighteenth aspect, wherein thecontrol unit is arranged to automatically save the scrolling speedsetting.

A twentieth aspect of the present invention is directed towards a deviceincluding the features of the eighteenth aspect, wherein the controlunit is arranged to save the scrolling speed setting after detecting aselection of saving scrolling speed from the user.

A twenty-first aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the eighteenth aspect, wherein thecontrol unit is arranged to save the scrolling speed setting for saidset of items.

A twenty-second aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the eighteenth aspect, wherein thecontrol unit is arranged to save the scrolling speed setting for atleast one other set of items.

A twenty-third of the present invention is directed towards a deviceincluding the features of the twelfth aspect, wherein the first userinput unit is provided as at least one navigation key for navigating ina menu system of the device and the second user input unit is providedas at least one button on the side of the device normally used forvolume settings or vice versa.

A twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the twelfth aspect, wherein the firstuser input unit is provided as at least one button on the side of thedevice normally used for volume settings and the second user input unitis provided as at least one navigation key for navigating in a menusystem of the device.

A twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the twelfth aspect, wherein the deviceis a portable electronic device.

A twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the twenty-fifth aspect, wherein thedevice is a portable communication device.

A twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention is directed towards adevice including the features of the twenty-sixth aspect, wherein thedevice is a cellular phone.

The invention has the following advantages. A user can directly and in asimple manner control the scrolling speed when he is in the process ofscrolling. The invention is also very inexpensive to implement, becauseit can be implemented using the user input units already provided in thedevice and the speed variation function can be provided with just someextra software in addition to the scrolling software already existing.

The embodiment according to aspects six and seventeen has the furtheradvantage that the increasing of the scrolling speed when the actuationscorresponding to the same directions coincide, and otherwise decreasingthe scrolling speed also gives a user a natural and intuitive feelingthat selection of change of scrolling speed matches with the scrollingdirection.

The embodiment according to aspects ten and twenty-one has the furtheradvantage that by storing the scrolling speed for a particular set ofitems, different scrolling speeds tailored after the different sets canbe provided for a user.

It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when usedin this specification is taken to specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, steps or components, but does not preclude thepresence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps,components or groups thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in more detail in relationto the enclosed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a portable electronic device in the form ofa cellular phone,

FIG. 2 shows a block schematic of the relevant parts of the inventioninside the phone in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A device according to the invention, which here is a portable electronicdevice 10 is shown in a front view in FIG. 1. In the preferredembodiment the device is a cellular phone 10 having an informationpresentation unit in the form of a display 14, a first user input unit20 in the form of a navigation key in a keypad 18. The device also hasan antenna. This is however not shown because it is provided in theinterior of the phone. The device also includes a second user input unit16 in the form of a key or button 16 provided on the side of the phone.The button 16 is a so called volume button, which can be used foradjusting the volume setting of the phone, but in the present inventionit has one further function, which will be described in more detailbelow. The volume button 16 can be actuated in an upwards direction andin an opposite downwards direction, which is indicated by an arrowpointing in both these directions in the figure. Apart from making andreceiving telephone calls, the keypad 18 is used for enteringinformation such as selection of functions and applications andresponding to prompts and the display 14 is used for displayingfunctions and prompts to a user of the phone. In order to do this, thekeypad 18 includes the navigation key 20, which can be used fornavigating up and down through a menu system provided in the phone. Thisis also indicated by the navigation key 20 being provided with an arrowpointing both upwards and downwards. In the menu system sets of itemsare provided in the form of lists. In FIG. 1 one such list of items isshown. The list is here a list of contacts provided in a phone book ofthe phone, where the display 14 shows the name of the contact togetherwith a phone number of the contact. In FIG. 1 the list is shown ashaving a first item 20, showing the name of Eral and his phone number1234, a second item 22, showing the name of Seven and his phone number7893, a third item 24, showing the name of Tage and his phone number3231. Part of a fourth item 26, which cannot be fully seen, is alsoshown for illustrative purposes. This list can be very long and in orderfor a user to find a contact, which he might want to call, he might haveto scroll a long time through this list. A list can typically include asmuch as 200 contacts. The antenna 12 is further used for communicationwith other users via a network.

FIG. 2 shows a block schematic of the different parts of the phone 10relevant to the present invention. The display 14, the first user inputunit 20 and the second user input unit 20 are here shown as separateboxes connected to a control unit 28. The control unit 28 is furthermoreconnected to a scroll speed storage 30.

The control unit is normally provided in the form of one or moreprocessors with corresponding program memories containing suitablesoftware code. The storage is also preferably provided in the form of amemory.

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of the method according to the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be explainedwith reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. This embodiment is also believed tobe the best mode of the invention at the moment. Upon the selection of alist of items in the menu system of the phone, the control unit 28retrieves the list of items 20, 22, 24, 26 and presents it on thedisplay 14, step 32. The control unit 28 thereafter awaits a scrollingaction selection through inputs from the user via the navigation key 20.If the key is not actuated or depressed, step 34, the control unitcontinues to wait. If however the navigation key is actuated, step 34,the control unit 28 goes on and scrolls the list with a stored stepsize, step 36. This scrolling is performed as long as the navigation keyis actuated or depressed. The step size used is retrieved from scrollspeed storage 30 prior to the scrolling. As long as the navigation keyis depressed the control unit 28 continues to scroll the list of items.At the same time it also awaits a scrolling speed variation selectionthrough actuation of the volume button 16 by the user. If the volumebutton is not actuated, step 38, the control unit goes back and monitorsthe navigation key, step 34. If however the second key is actuated, step38, the control unit 28 changes the scrolling speed.

The navigation key 20 enables the possibility to navigate in an upwarddirection and in a downward direction as is indicated by the arrowpointing in two directions in FIG. 1. This means that if a lower part ofthe key is depressed, scrolling is made downwards, while if an upperpart is depressed scrolling is performed in a direction upwards. Thevolume button also has the possibility to provide two different inputsin the same way, where the actuation in a direction upwards provides ahigher volume and the actuation in a direction downwards provides adecrease of the volume. This button will according to the invention beused in a different way. When the control unit 28 thus has determinedthat both keys are actuated simultaneously, steps 34 and 38, it goes onand checks the direction of the scrolling selection of the first andsecond user input units, step 40. If both have been selected to go inthe same direction, step 40, i.e. either upwards or downwards, thescrolling speed is increased with one step, step 42. However, if theyhave been selected to go in different directions, step 40, i.e. one inthe upwards direction and the other in the downwards direction, thescrolling speed is decreased one step, step 44. This means that anactuation of the volume button in the upwards direction will only leadto an increase of the scrolling speed if the list is scrolled in thesame direction. This gives a user a natural and intuitive feeling forwhat a scrolling speed increase or decrease would correspond to. Thealternative, that one direction would always provide an increased speedwould in many cases make a user feel uncomfortable when scrolling isactually performed in the opposite direction. When the scrolling speedhas been increased or decreased, steps 42, 44, the new scrolling speedis automatically stored in the scroll speed storage 30 by the controlunit 28, step 46, which scrolling speed is thereafter used for scrollingin this list. Thereafter the control unit 28 goes back and monitors thenavigation key, step 34. This method is then continued as long as theuser is present in the menu having this list and as long as he has notselected an item in the list.

The present invention has many advantages. It allows a user to get fullcontrol of the scrolling, which he would not otherwise have. Onealternative less satisfactory way to provide different types ofscrolling is for example to provide a scrolling setting possibility in aspecial settings menu. It is often not good to provide this type ofsolution though, because the user might feel that it is complicated tonavigate to this special menu in order to set a scrolling speed. Thesettings would then also have to be made for every possible list ofitems provided, which is burdensome for a user if there are many suchlists. It is preferred that the scrolling speed can be influenceddirectly when it is needed, i.e. when scrolling is performed. Anotherpossible solution that has been discussed is the provision of automaticincrease of the speed when the list is long. In this case the user feelshe has no real control of the scrolling process. According to thepresent invention a user can directly and in a simple manner control thescrolling speed when he is in the process of scrolling. For a suitableselection of step size in the device, the scrolling speed can beincremented and decremented such that it suits the particular user atthe particular time. By storing the scrolling speed for the particularlist, different scrolling speeds tailored after the different lists canbe provided for a user. The provision of increasing of the scrollingspeed when the actuations corresponding to the same directions coincide,and otherwise decreasing the scrolling speed also gives a user a naturaland intuitive feeling that selection of change of scrolling speedmatches the scrolling direction. The invention is also very inexpensiveto implement. By providing the scroll speed control with the volumebutton, there is furthermore no need for any additional buttons or keyson the phone and the speed variation function can be provided with justsome extra software in addition to the scrolling software alreadyexisting.

The present invention can be varied in many ways. The scrolling speedwas described as being varied stepwise. It should be realised that itcan just as well be changed linearly. The saving of the scrolling speedmight as an alternative be made after approval of the user, whichapproval could be made through depressing any of the keys in the keypad.The saved scrolling speed might furthermore be made to apply to morethan one list, like for instance all lists. The keys described werekeys, where one key can be used for indicating two directions. It is ofcourse also possible to provide this functionality with two separatekeys. The same is true for the volume button. This can also be providedas two separate buttons that either increase or decrease the volume. Thenavigation key was furthermore described in relation to providingnavigation in only upwards and downwards directions. Naturally it isalso possible to provide navigation sideways. It should also beunderstood that the scrolling control according to the invention couldalso be performed for navigation sideways. The use of the buttonsdescribed can furthermore be the opposite, in that the volume button canbe used for scrolling and the navigation button be used for scrollingspeed control. The invention is of course not limited to these types ofbuttons or keys at all, but can be used with any keys provided on adevice. The set of items was described in relation to a list of contactsand their phone numbers. The invention is not limited to this, but canbe provided for any set of items, such as a list of received or sentmessages, a list of functions or a list of settings that can be made. Itis also applicable to scrolling in for instance a text file. Theinvention was described in relation to a cellular phone. A cellularphone is just one example of a device in which the invention can beimplemented. The invention can for instance also be used in a PDA(personal digital assistant), a palm top computer a lap top computer anda regular PC. Therefore the present invention is only to be limited bythe following claims.

1. A method of varying a scrolling speed provided for a set of items,wherein a first user input unit is configured to be actuated in a firstdirection and a second direction opposite the first direction, andwherein a second user input unit is configured to be actuated in thefirst and the second directions, the method comprising: providing a setof items of information that can be scrolled by a user; detecting ascrolling action selection from the user by actuation of the first inputunit; detecting a scrolling speed variation selection from the user byactuation of the second user input unit; and changing the scrollingspeed based on the detected selections by the user, wherein changing thescrolling speed comprises increasing the scrolling speed if thescrolling action selection and the scrolling speed variation selectioncorrespond to a same direction, and decreasing the scrolling speed ifthe scrolling action selection and the scrolling speed variationselection correspond to opposite directions.
 2. A method according toclaim 1, wherein changing the scrolling speed comprises changing thescrolling speed based on simultaneous detection of the scrolling actionselection and the scrolling speed variation selection.
 3. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein changing the scrolling speed comprisesvarying the scrolling speed by a certain step size each time thescrolling speed variation selection is detected during detection of thescrolling action selection.
 4. A method according to claim 1, whereinchanging the scrolling speed comprises linearly varying the scrollingspeed when the scrolling speed variation selection is detected duringdetection of the scrolling action selection.
 5. A method according toclaim 1, further comprising: saving a scrolling speed setting based onthe changed scrolling speed.
 6. A method according to claim 5, whereinsaving the scrolling speed comprises automatically saving the scrollingspeed.
 7. A method according to claim 5, wherein saving the scrollingspeed comprises saving the scrolling speed responsive to detecting aselection from the user.
 8. A method according to claim 5, whereinsaving the scrolling speed comprises saving the scrolling speed for saidset of items.
 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein saving thescrolling speed further comprises saving the scrolling speed for atleast one other set of items.
 10. A device for varying a scrolling speedprovided for a set of items, comprising: an information presentationunit configured to provide a set of items of information that can bescrolled by a user, a first user input unit configured to receive ascrolling action selection by the user and configured to be actuated ina first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction, asecond user input unit configured to receive a scrolling speed variationselection by the user and for configured to be actuated in the first andthe second directions, and a control unit configured to: provide saidset of items of information to the information presentation unit, detectthe scrolling action selection by a user responsive to actuation of saidfirst user input unit, detect the scrolling speed variation selectionresponsive to actuation of said second user input unit, and change thescrolling speed based on the detected selections by the user, whereinthe control unit is configured to provide a scrolling speed increase ifthe scrolling action selection and the scrolling speed variationselection correspond to a same direction, and is configured to provide ascrolling speed decrease if the scrolling action selection and thescrolling speed variation selection correspond to opposite directions.11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit isconfigured to change the scrolling speed based on simultaneous detectionof the scrolling action selection and the scrolling speed variationselection.
 12. A device according to claim 10, wherein the control unitis further configured to vary the scrolling speed by a certain step sizeeach time the scrolling speed variation selection is detected duringdetection of the scrolling action selection.
 13. A device according toclaim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured to vary thescrolling speed linearly when the scrolling speed variation selection isdetected during detection of the scrolling action selection.
 14. Adevice according to claim 10, further comprising: a scroll speed storageunit, wherein the control unit is further configured to save a scrollingspeed setting in the scroll speed storage unit based on the changedscrolling speed.
 15. A device according to claim 14, wherein the controlunit is configured to automatically save the scrolling speed setting.16. A device according to claim 14, wherein the control unit isconfigured to save the scrolling speed setting responsive to detecting aselection from the user.
 17. A device according to any of claim 14,wherein the control unit is configured to save the scrolling speedsetting for said set of items.
 18. A device according to claim 17,wherein the control unit is configured to save the scrolling speedsetting for at least one other set of items.
 19. A device according toclaim 10, wherein the first user input unit comprises at least onenavigation key configured to be used for navigation of a menu system ofthe device, and wherein the second user input unit comprises at leastone button on a side of the device configured to be used for volumesettings.
 20. A device according to claim 10, wherein the first userinput unit comprises at least one button on a side of the deviceconfigured to be used for volume settings, and wherein the second userinput unit comprises at least one navigation key configured to be usedfor navigation of a menu system of the device.
 21. A device according toclaim 10, wherein the device is a portable electronic device.
 22. Adevice according to claim 21, wherein the device is a portablecommunication device.
 23. A device according to claim 22, wherein thedevice is a cellular phone.